MUA Prime & Conceal - dupe for Benefit's Lemon Aid

As a beauty junkie I have drawers filled to the brim of products just waiting to be used, but still somehow mysteriously it does happen once in a blue moon that I run out of something and when that happens it seems as if everything runs out at the same time.... makeup kharma or what? This is exactly what happened a while back when my trusted Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray ran out. Its sister product, the Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion must have felt that since it decided to give up the ghost a day or so later. So when I had to get a new makeup fixing spray very impromptu and got the MUA Fixing Spray (reviewed here) I also decided to get and test its sibling, the MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal (£1.50). As with all MUA products the packaging is a unglamorous as you can imagine - it's a very basic, plastic pan but it does contain quite a generous amount of product. 

This is a 2-in-1 product which can be used both as a primer, to help set your eye makeup and hopefully make it last a little bit longer during the day, and you can also use it as a concealer to correct any uneven tone. The formula looks like a matte velvety eyeshadow in a golden buff color and the texture feels lovely, smooth and creamy to apply. You can probably use a brush to apply it to your eyelids, but personally I find it easier to just swirl a fingertip in it and lightly dab it onto the eyelid. When you apply it as a primer, the golden color sets very nicely on the lid and the color looks subtle, even and natural. I did notice that if you apply a bit too much it does tend to crease a little, which isn't a good sign for a primer, so you're better off keeping it to a light wash and if you do the tone is so lovely that you could even wear it just as it is without any eyeshadow on top, on a "no makeup" day for a very fresh look.

The golden tone is a great color corrector to get rid of any redness not just around the eyes, but also on any blemishes or angry patches. Since the consistency is quite creamy, you're better off using it before you apply foundation, so that you can blend it in seemlessly and add any additional concealer on top if need be. The texture is so light that it sits very comfortably on the skin without clogging the pores and I really like to wear it under the eyes ,to even out the skin tone and it makes the whole eye area look bright and rested.

This is not a pretty or glamorous product in any way, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and it is in fact a great primer and concealer. As a color corrector it does a wonderful job of reducing redness and foundation and concealers sit really well on top of it all day long. When I tested it as a primer I thought I would really put it through its paces so I wore it when I was traveling, and it really made the little eye makeup I was wearing stay put all day long, and it also looked as good in the evening, after a long day of airports and travel and shifting climate as it had in the morning. To me this in every way is an excellent dupe for the much loved Benefit's Lemon Aid (£16.50), but considering the massive difference in price, and the little difference quality wise my prime choice will be MUA.